Support and shackle for fowl



5, 1952 J. H. WUNDERLICH 2,584,377

SUPPORT AND SHACKLE FOR FOWL Filed June 12, 1947 I 2 SHEETSSHEET l 8 ,UI 2 I JOHN H. WUNDERLICH FIG.

(1. uwmvk J. H. WUNDERLICH SUPPORT AND SHACKLE FOR FOWL I Feb. 5, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed June 12. 1947 JOHN H. W'UNDERLICH,

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 e l erli-l seder gle enqnslal.

pplieatiaeflmn e .N 1 2 3 Claim. (01. Iii- 4 11:

The present invention relates-"to a--new -and improved relationshipof parts-ina so-called hook and-"shackle device-ffor; fowl, such as. chickensy turkeys and the like. More specifically, theinvention has especial -relation-toa type of -ho o k== and shackle construction particularly adapted for use in connection With'a'conveyor mechanism;- v/hich'per se is of essentially conventional construction in -the art,- whereby the chickensor -oth'erj fowlmay be moved successively and inmore or-less continuous mannerg-frem station to station, at -wh-ich' they may be successively killedsscalded, picked, eviscerated and otherwise treated, in --the processing plant, the birds being supported throughout in-inverted depending position -whereby they--are,-readily accessible-to the operators.

There are several desiderata in; this type ofdevice.- Inthe :first place,- the chicken must be 4 readily- -insertable intoposition on the hook and shackle. By the -same-token,*the-fowl must-be capable of immediate --removal -from--the device, This is-of paramount importance since otherwiseif--a-single bird-becomes tangled up a manipuflating device, as'for example in a plucker, the" entire processing line maybecome disrupted-- unless the bird can forthwith be-dissociated'from its-support.

Another desideratum--is;--that the apparatus be-- of simple and relatively inexpensive construction-- but nevertheless capable-of efficiently effecting the desired--functions5 -To--this-end;-a minimum number--of- I constituent parts soarranged as to operate positively and insimple manner isidesir able.-

v. While, as aforesaid, ready dissociation of the fowl from the shackle is important, it -islequa lly important that undesired dissociation" be prevented and thatthe bird be securely retained in position during .the processing operations.

It is an object of the present invention to em;- body a noveL relationship ot partsa -chicken hook and shackle constructionWhereby-theseW eral mentioned, eside atacareire V A further object of the invention is to provide a construction whereby the fowl. may be. associated with; the shackle by a simple essentially horizontal movement in one direction and ,may be dissociated therefrom by a, sim'ilar sin'iplees -v sentially horizontal movement} the gopposite direc on; .p 1 i Still another object of the invention is the realization of a device whereby all danger of undesired dissociation of the bird from the shackle is obviated.

invention;

de-abl r a r t an 'c he1z dsn i. n h i 11 Toethese. ends -briefly.stated, .the. device accord-a ing to the present invention consists essentiallyl of -a yoke-shaped member .adapted tube-arranged; in su-bstantially. horizontal position, each-"leg of the yoke defining-a .fixedijaw elementrof-ia s shackle jaw, twoofwhich aresprovidedt A spring-pressed --movab1e jaw. member isflpivotallyi connected to--each -fixedjaw element; and sthe, several javvparts are so configuredas to define: anoutwardly flaring inlet notchfor each shackle jaw and a lanciform "aperture intermediately -of each .jaw-for the reception-of the legs of the fowl, 1 all I as hereinaiter described-in greatendeta-il with ample, on the accompanying sheet of drawings,

On the saidsheet ofdrawings Fig.1 is a top plan view showing one assemblyof-shack1e and bracket according to-the present Fig, 2 is a view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 3 is a view similar to'that of Fig.- 1 (with a partbrokenaway), and showing a second form of shackle-and-bracket assembly accerding to- ,the invention;

' Fig 4 is a view taken along line 44 of Fig. 53 V "Figg 5 is a view showing the device inoperative relationship.

a hs, sai rawi ss ,.and e n first to h lem' im t sh wn mor p rti u rly i Fies-T,

1 and 'z of the drawings, a first form of bracket is shown at it]; The bracket llL which may be wg ed,b ta sa uminum a t pi e-l ke.

hak s t th l ter i arr n n; (ho izont 1 disposition (see Fig. 5) Constituting an integr pqa 'onvi t a ke -1 and de endin he from is means enalol i ig g interconnect on ofg;

bracket? andesha ckle This lintegral portion I2 is. reshaped in configuration and-,of; a idth rac et my;

h. 1 I mail? y m Gas r n lzr ka-c Iticqns stseesa se a1 member I3 and a pair of movable jaw elements Figlip face of the said rectilinear portion, defined be-' tween a pair of vertically extending, rearwardly projecting ribs I6, bears against the juxtaposed flat surface of the vertical leg of the L-shaped part 12. The bottom fiat surface of the rectilinear portion I5 rests on the flat upper surface'of the horizontal leg of part [2. Parts [2 and I5 are provided with aligned bores for the reception of a securing bolt l1, whereby the parts are securely held together.

The terminal or free ends of the yoke-shaped body member severally constitute the fixed elements [8 of the two shackle jaws. Each fixed element I8 is associated, through the medium of a pivot-forming bolt or rivet [9, with one of the two movable jaw members I4, hereinbefore mentioned. In order to provide an extended bearing surface, each fixed jaw element is provided with a circular enlargement or bearing-plate 20 (Fig. 2) at the point of articulation of the corresponding jaw member I4. A similar enlargement 20' is provided at the inner end of each movable jaw element is which bears against the corresponding pivotor bearing-plate 20.

Each movable jaw element It is yielding retained in firm abutting relationship, at abutment points a and b, with its associated fixed jaw member 18 by means of a so-called Murphy and Read spring 2|, i. e. an arcuate or yoke-shaped member of sturdy spring wire, the terminal ends 22 of which are securely retained in bores provided for this purpose adjacent the outer ends of the elements M. The inherent spring tension of the member 2| keeps the latter securely in place.

Beyond the point of abutment a, the outer end of each fixed element I8 and movable element [4 is configured as shown in order to define what may be termed an inlet notch N therebetween.

In the inner edge of each jaw element, at aligned intermediate points, there is provided a recess 23 of such configuration that each pair defines, when the jaw elements are in closed position, an aperture which is essentially lanciform in cross-section, i. e. is particularly designed to conform as closely as is practicable to the crosssection of the leg of the bird in a zone where it is tobe gripped.

The embodiment of the invention according to Figs.3 and 4 differs from that of Figs. 1 and 2 only in so far as the form of bracket and the mode of interconnecting the latter with the shackle are concerned. In lieu of the rectilinear rear portion l5 of the first form, the yoke-shaped body of the present embodiment is provided at the rear thereof with a pair of spaced perforated lugs 24. In lieu of the L-shaped member I2 of the first embodiment of bracket, the flat .body portion of the second embodiment of bracket 25 is provided with a simple perforated lug extension 26 which is adapted to fit into the space between the perforated lugs 2 3, with surfaces (Fig. 4) in abutting relationship. Bolt 2'? holds the parts securely together.

Operation of the device will be clear from a consideration more particularly of Fig. of the drawings. The shackle in this figure is suspended from conveying means 0 through the bracket which is bolted to the latter. In order to'load the device, it is only necessary that that portion of the legs of the-fowl above the claws be inserted in the respective inlet notches N and then forced in a horizontal direction against the tension of the spring member 2| until they are lodged in and gripped between the side walls of the lanciform apertures. Accidental disengagement under the force of gravity or otherwise is avoided by the fact that the claws of the bird extending above the shackle jaws are larger than than the legs. Accidental disengagement in the horizontal direction is prevented by the action of the spring 2| which keeps the jaw elements in securely closed position. Nevertheless, this retention of the bird is a yielding one, so that upon the exertion of an abnormal pull-as when the bird gets caught in a processing apparatus-the force of the spring is overcome and the bird is dissociated from the shackle. Similarly, a pull by the operator on the bird in the horizontal direction toward the inlet notch will open the respective shackle jaws whereupon the bird is readily removed.

It is clear from the foregoing that the present invention provides a new constructional relationship of parts whereby the introductorilydiscussed desiderata are realized.

Having thus disclosed the invention and its mode of operation, what is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a vertical bracket adapted to be associated with conveyor means, a shackle horizontally mounted on said bracket and consisting essentially of a fiat arcuate yoke-shaped body member provided with means for retaining the shackle against displacement from its horizontal position and with means for associating a bird with and dissociating it from the shackle by movements relative thereto in the horizontal direction, said last-named means comprising two pairs of jaws between which the respective legs of the bird may be received and retained, each pair of jaws including a fixed jaw constituted by .a terminal portion of the body member and a movable jaw connected to the fixed jaw pivotal movement about an axis disposed perpendicularly to the plane of said body member, and resilient means for urging said movable jaws toward their respective fixed jaws.

2. The relationship of parts defined in claim 1, said jaws being configured to define an inlet notch between each pair thereof at their outer ends and to define a lanciform recess between each said pair intermediately thereof. v

3. The relationship of parts defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient means is constituted by an arcuate wire spring, each terminal end of which is secured to a movable jaw, the arch of the spring being substantially parallel to the archof the arcuate body member.

JOHN H. WUNDERLICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 297,317 Thurber Apr. 22, 1884 925,993 Chapman June 22, 1909 1,078,805 Schahl Nov. 18, .1913 1,742,569 Barker et a1. Jan. 7,1930 2,405,638 Bilek Aug. 13, 1946 2,435,706 Barker Feb. 10, 1948 

